Digital Certificate Requirements

If you want to add security to your WAN boot installation, you can use digital certificates to enable server and the client authentication. WAN boot can use a digital certificate to establish the identity of the server or the client during an online transaction. Digital certificates are issued by a certificate authority (CA). These certificates contain a serial number, expiration dates, a copy of the certificate holder's public key, and the certificate authority's digital signature.

If you want to require server or both client and server authentication during your installation, you must install digital certificates on the server. Follow these guidelines when you use digital certificates.

• If you want to use digital certificates, the digital certificates must be formatted as part of a Public-Key Cryptography Standards #12 (PKCS#12) file.

• If you create your own certificates, you must create the certificates as PKCS#12 files.

• If you receive your certificates from third-party certificate authorities, request your certificates in the PKCS#12 format.

For detailed instructions on how to use PKCS#12 certificates during your WAN boot installation, see (Optional) To Use Digital Certificates for Server and Client Authentication.